Contactor for electric torpedoes



y 1965 A. J. MUSCANTE ETAL 3,194,918

CONTACTOR FOR ELECTRIC TORPEDOES Filed Oct. 4, 1963 4 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 INVENTORS. ANTHONY J. MUSCANTE EUGENE G. PETERS 4--l BY ATTORNE-Y" y 1965 A. J. MUSCANTE ETAL 3,194,918

GONTACTOR FOR ELECTRIC TORPEDOES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 4, 1963 INVENTORS. ANTHONY J. MUSCANTE E UGENE G. PETERS BY 22 ATTOR N EY.

United States Patent (ZQNTACTGR FOR ELECTRIC TORPEDQES Anthony J. Muscantc and Eugene G. Peters, Baltimore,

Md, assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States or? America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Get. 4, 1963, Set. N0. 3l4,@1 1 Claim. (Cl. zen-as This invention relates to electrical contactors and more particularly to improvements in a contactor for use in torpedoes.

in certain torpedoes propelled by battery operated electric motors, it is highly desirable that a contactor be provided for the motor which conforms to spacial and weight limitations imposed by other design factors of the torpedo.

It should be as light in weight and small in size as possible yet highly reliable and tree of maintenance requirements. Also, it should be shock resistant and otherwise insensitive to forces acting on the. torpedo. its current carrying capacity, as an example, may be of the order of 600 amperes at 250 300 volts. Various available contactors, such as high energy contactors employed on aircraft, have been employed in an attempt to meet these requirements; however, none have been found completely satisfactory.

Gne of the objects of this invention is the provision of an improved contactor which will satisfy the various requirements referred to.

Other objects, advantages and salient features will become more apparent from a consideration of the description to follow, the appended claim, and the accompanying drawing in which:

FlG. l is a section taken on line l-l, FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is plan as viewed from line 2-2, FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is section taken on line 33, FIG. 1, portions being broken away;

MG. 4 is a section taken on line 4- FIG. 3, portions being broken away, and

FIGS. 5, 5A and 5B are enlarged details of FIG. 3 in various positions of the parts.

Referring now to the drawing, and first to FIG. 1, the subject of the invention comprises, briefly, a base which may be aifixed to any desired structure, and a spaced plate 12 affixed to the base, providing an intermediate space or chamber 14 containing contact apparatus 16, and an outer chamber 13, between plate 12 and a cover 20, containing apparatus for actuating the contacting apparatus.

The actuating apparatus comprises a shaft 22 journaled in plate 12 to which is afflxed a statically balanced soft iron armature rotor 24 having outwardly extending arms 2d, 26, the ends of which may be magnetically attracted toward poles 28, 28 of a pair of solenoids 30, 30 when the solenoids are energized. The solenoids are preferably electrically connected in parallel (not shown) so that either solenoid will operate rotor 24 in case of failure or" the other. Any suitable springs 32, 32 may be employed to bias the rotor toward a position, at which contacts to subsequently be described, are in open circuit position.

The contact apparatus comprises a statically balanced metallic contact rotor 34 having oppositely extending arms 35, to each of which is affixed an outer contact 33 and an inner contact 49. Rotor 34 is also affixed to shaft 22, the latter having its innermost end journaled in a plate 42 affixed to base ill. A pair of contact housings 44, 44 are affixed to plate 42, each supporting a floating contact carrier 46 having an outer contact 4-8 and an inner contact 5d. Contact carrier 45 is provided with a pivot pin disposed within an elongated slot 54 in which it may pivot and also translate, a projecting stop 56 being provided on the carrier which may move within a slot 58 in the contact housing.

3,194,918 Patented July 13, 1965 In the operation of the apparatus so far described, and first with reference to FIG. 3, the contacts are all in open circuit position and no current is flowing between terminals 60, an, each of which is connected to a contact carrier 46 by a contact housing 44 and a flexible pigtail 61. When solenoids 3t), Eli are energized, armature rotor 24 and contact rotor 34 simultaneously move toward closed circuit position. As shown in FIG. 5, outer contact 38 first engages with contact 48, initially closing the circuit between terminals 60, 60. As rotor 34 further rotates in the direction of the arrow, contact carrier 46 rotates about the axis of pin 52, moving stop 56 within slot 58 until contacts 4%, till also engage as shown in FIG. 5A. As rotor 34 further rotates, pin 52 translates within slot 54 and stop 56 moves to a final position within slot 58 as shown in EEG. 5B. A spring 62, or any suitable selection of springs, may be employed to bias carrier 46 to the initial position shown in FIG. 5 and permit the floating action of the contact carrier as it moves to the final position shown in FIG. 5B. As will be apparent from the geometrical arrangement of rotor 34, and the pivotal and translatory motion or" contact carrier 46, the inner and outer contacts are in wiping engagement between the positions of FIGS. 5, 5A and 5B. When solenoids 30 are deenergized springs 32 move rotors 24, 34 to open circuit position and the reverse action of the contacts occurs, that is, inner contacts id, will first open (again as shown in FIG. 5) and shortly thereafter contacts 38, 48 will open. As will now be apparent, since contacts 38, 4-8 are first to make contact and last to break contact all arcing will occur between contacts 38, 4-8.

It is also desired that the arcing between contacts 38, 43, just described, be confined in such manner that the arc does not engage and erode inner contacts 40, 50. To attain this end, each set of paired contacts is provided with a cylindrical permanent magnet 64 having poleplates 66 atlixed to same which provide a magnetic flux between their outer free ends. The flux is so disposed relative to contacts 38, 48 that the arc is attracted or blown outwardly from them, rather than in a direction toward contacts 46, 50. Arcuate arc shields 68 of insulating material, such as nylon or melamine are provided, against which outward propagation of the arc is directed. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, portions of the arc shields provide receptacles for housing magnets 64.

Cover 20 is sealed to base 10 by an O-ring 70 and terminals are likewise sealed to base 10 by nuts 72, provided with O-rings, the nuts engaging threaded portions of terminals 66, the upper portions (FIG. 1) of which are integrally secured to contact housings 44. The entire casing is evacuated and filled with an inert gas, such as nitrogen, at a pressure slightly above ambient pressure. As will be understood, materials for the various parts may be selected from metals and electrical insulation as desired and may be assembled in desired manner such as by screws as illustrated.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claim the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

An electrical contactor comprising:

(a) a circular base member and a cup-shaped cover sealingly engaging same, forming a closed housing,

(b) a first circular plate member affixed to thebase member,

(c) a second circular plate member disposed in spaced parallel relation to the first plate member, providing a space therebetween, (d) a shaft journaled at the centers of said first and J second plate members for rotation about an axis perpendicular thereto,

(e) a balanced contact rotor afiixed to the shaft and disposed within said space having oppositely extending arms each carrying an outer contact and an inner contact,

(f) a pair of contact carriers disposed within said space and aflixed to one face of said first plate member, each having an outer and an inner contact engageable with the corresponding contacts on an arm of the contact rotor,

(g) each contact carrier being mounted for pivotal and floating movement relative to the housing and constructed in such manner that when the contact rotor is rotated by the shaft, an outer contact on the contact rotor first engages an outer contact on a contact carrier, further rotation of the contact rotor effects pivotal movement of the contact carrier and the subsequent engagement of an inner contact on the contact rotor with an inner contact on the contact carrier, and further rotation of the contact carrier relative to the housing with both contacts in Wiping engagement,

(h) resilient means for urging the contact carrier in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the contact rotor, opposite rotation of the contact rotor first opening the inner contacts and subsequently opening the outer contacts, whereby arcing is limited to the outer contacts,

(i) a pair of permanent magnets, each disposed in a position relative to the outer contacts for effecting propagation of an arc in an outwardly direction and away from the inner contacts,

(j) an arcuate arc shield of insulating material for each pair of inner and outer contacts disposed radially outward therefrom for shielding against outward propagation of an arc,

(k) a balanced armature rotor afiixed to said shaft and disposed in a second space formed by one face of said second plate member and an end Wall of said cup-shaped member, having oppositely extending arms,

(1) resilient means urging said armature rotor in one direction of rotation, and

(m) a pair of solenoids disposed in said second space, one for each arm, for urging the armature rotor in the opposite direction of rotation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,697,154 11/54 Strom 200-447 2,875,293 2/59 Adams 3l7197 X 2,875,302 2/59 Immel et a1. 200-147 FOREIGN PATENTS 947,812 7/56 Germany.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Examiner. 

